Building castles for a cause

An event this weekend will see castles rising from the sands of Seven Mile Beach, and for a good cause to boot.

Benefiting from Cayman ARK’s sandcastle competition, set to take place at 2.30pm on Saturday, 28 August at Calico Jack’s, will be young Zoe Solomon and her mother Alice.

Zoe is far from a typical nine-year-old. Most nine-year-olds have not successfully battled a ventricle tumour attached to the main arteries of their heart, nor have they undergone numerous cardiac surgeries. A typical nine-year-old has not just had her third pacemaker replaced.

But Zoe has persevered like a champion through all these challenges. The West Bay Primary student is scheduled for a six-month check-up on her new pacemaker on 9 September in Miami.

The story doesn’t end here, though. After successfully battling the tumour on her heart, the plucky youngster recently ran into trouble of a different sort. While playing with a friend she suffered a freak accident, breaking her femur.

Traction was required, and after five weeks in hospital, Zoe spent the following two months at home in bed, unable to even sit up.

When her cast was removed, doctors discovered her left leg was four and a half inches shorter than her right leg. So now, in addition to the appointment in Miami to check her heart, Zoe will also go see a specialist to try and determine what can be done about her leg.

It’s a situation neither Zoe nor her family was prepared for. And while CINICO is covering Zoe’s medical costs, the other bills – electricity, water and home care – are piling up. Ms Solomon, a single mother of five who works as an office assistant at Price Waterhouse Coopers, has not only been caring for Zoe, but also her three younger children as well.

Tara Nielson, founder of Cayman ARK, heard about Zoe’s plight and determined to do something to help.

“We are an organization of over 120 members, a legion of women dedicated to doing random acts of kindness, which is where our name comes from,” said Ms Nielson.

Cayman ARK are pooling their efforts to help.

“We thought holding a sandcastle competition would be a great way to raise funds to help Alice with all the bills she has racked up, doing as much as she could through this whole ordeal,” said Ms Nielson.

“She is totally hyperextended.” The organisers of the sandcastle competition hope to build on the significant success of a similar competition the organization held last year that allowed a group of foster children from Grand Cayman to attend summer camp on Little Cayman.

“It’s a way for the community to come out and support a good cause, and it’s fun!” said Ms Nielson. Ms Solomon expressed her appreciation for the support, and remains optimistic about the future.

“People ask me if this is hard,” she said.

“I say no, I give God thanks I have the strength to get through this.”

Zoe Solomon is well on the way to recovery and is a student at West Bay Primary School.